Upon coming to the surface, I like to take pictures of the other divers floating in the water. I often get droplets on the lense housing that ruin good pictures. Is there a good technique for getting rid of these droplets? I have thought about trying Rainex but I am concerned it may react with my lense and ruin my housing.
Droplets on Lense Housing
- Thread starter COLEDIVER
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Are you talking about while you are still floating on the water or when you get back in the boat?
If on the boat just keep a towel or t shirt handy.
If still in the water, i am not really sure. Rainex seems like a bit of a gamble to me, i wouldn't do it.
When i am doing video i just quickly dunk the camera back into and out of the water to get more of an even film of water.
Perhaps someone with more experience in the under/over department will have some ideas.
If on the boat just keep a towel or t shirt handy.
If still in the water, i am not really sure. Rainex seems like a bit of a gamble to me, i wouldn't do it.
When i am doing video i just quickly dunk the camera back into and out of the water to get more of an even film of water.
Perhaps someone with more experience in the under/over department will have some ideas.
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get one of those little rubber blow thingys that attach to a inflator hose. I usually attach a second inflator hose to my reg for just that. also useful for blowing your camera dry on the surface.
get the rubber one as the metal ones have little or no control of the air flo
chris
get the rubber one as the metal ones have little or no control of the air flo
chris
I've used an aviation product, RVR, in the past. It's made for use on acrylic windscreens.
Didn't seem to cause any damage, but a single application only lasted for a dive or two, so I eventually stopped using it. I'd use it again if I had a job doing over-unders, though.
All the best, James
(edit) Just remembered, I also seemed to get lots more of those annoying tiny little clingy bubbles underwater on the dome. More than usual, anyway. Just a gentle wipe with the hand and they'd float away.
Didn't seem to cause any damage, but a single application only lasted for a dive or two, so I eventually stopped using it. I'd use it again if I had a job doing over-unders, though.
All the best, James
(edit) Just remembered, I also seemed to get lots more of those annoying tiny little clingy bubbles underwater on the dome. More than usual, anyway. Just a gentle wipe with the hand and they'd float away.
Thanks for the good responses to my question about droplets on the lense housing. I will give the quick dunk a try this afternoon and try blowing the lense off with my Octo (until I can buy the rubber thingy). I guess if I check the net I will be able to find RVR product.
Cliff
Cliff
Gilligan
Contributor
I have used mask defog on the lens port for taking photos with a wet lens port. Apply the defog then dunk the housing. The water should sheet off the lens port allowing you to take a few photos before having to re-apply the defog.
The problem is keeping the defog in your BCD while descending and ascending without seawater getting in it from the pressure changes.
The problem is keeping the defog in your BCD while descending and ascending without seawater getting in it from the pressure changes.
SeaYoda
Contributor
What's in rain-x that can harm the lens?
Sea Yoda, the short answer is that Rain-X contains several alcohols that damage acrylic ports.
For those further interested, here's the long answer:
Optical-grade acrylic, polymethylmethacrylate, is a polymer. Anything that breaks the polymeric backbone will result in cracking, or hazing (which results from microscopic cracks).
Materials that mildly solvate the backbone produce these delayed imperfections. Generally, all distilates from petroleum so perform. These would include gasoline, mineral spirits, diesel, Stoddard solvent, etc.
The backbone may be broken by removal of the acrylate active group by common bases, such as ammonia or sodium hydroxide. This may be also be accomplished somewhat less elegantly via "brute force" by common oxidizing acids, such as Nitric and Sulphuric.
Hydrocarbons whose structure forces a presentation of an electronegative group will easily solvate strand-to-strand interactions, causing immediately damage and flexibility. Some of these materials are 2-butanone (MEK), acetone, dichloroethane, etc. Those with groups of lesser gradient that are similarly "presented" will act by causing cracking and hazing, such as isopropyl alcohol, phenol, ethanol, t-butanol, etc.
Most "rain repellents" work because of silicone. Molecules containing multiple atoms of silicon, siloxanes, are placed into microscopic surface imperfections. Water then cannot cling to the silicon, and thus, the glass (or other substrate).
Rain-X uses several alcohols, ethyl alcohol and isopropyl, to act as a carrier for the siloxanes. This has the added bonus of cleaning the surface imperfections, allowing better grip by the siloxanes, and better durability of the applied material.
RVR places the siloxanes into an emulsion with water. This makes application more difficult, and less durable, than the Rain-X formulation, but will not damage acrylic.
I guess this a point for expensive glass ports.
Whew! Class adjourned.
All the best, James
For those further interested, here's the long answer:
Optical-grade acrylic, polymethylmethacrylate, is a polymer. Anything that breaks the polymeric backbone will result in cracking, or hazing (which results from microscopic cracks).
Materials that mildly solvate the backbone produce these delayed imperfections. Generally, all distilates from petroleum so perform. These would include gasoline, mineral spirits, diesel, Stoddard solvent, etc.
The backbone may be broken by removal of the acrylate active group by common bases, such as ammonia or sodium hydroxide. This may be also be accomplished somewhat less elegantly via "brute force" by common oxidizing acids, such as Nitric and Sulphuric.
Hydrocarbons whose structure forces a presentation of an electronegative group will easily solvate strand-to-strand interactions, causing immediately damage and flexibility. Some of these materials are 2-butanone (MEK), acetone, dichloroethane, etc. Those with groups of lesser gradient that are similarly "presented" will act by causing cracking and hazing, such as isopropyl alcohol, phenol, ethanol, t-butanol, etc.
Most "rain repellents" work because of silicone. Molecules containing multiple atoms of silicon, siloxanes, are placed into microscopic surface imperfections. Water then cannot cling to the silicon, and thus, the glass (or other substrate).
Rain-X uses several alcohols, ethyl alcohol and isopropyl, to act as a carrier for the siloxanes. This has the added bonus of cleaning the surface imperfections, allowing better grip by the siloxanes, and better durability of the applied material.
RVR places the siloxanes into an emulsion with water. This makes application more difficult, and less durable, than the Rain-X formulation, but will not damage acrylic.
I guess this a point for expensive glass ports.
Whew! Class adjourned.
All the best, James
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wow
thanks james!
do you have any links for the RVR product. hopefully one that will ship to Guam
thanks
Chris
thanks james!
do you have any links for the RVR product. hopefully one that will ship to Guam
thanks
Chris
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